Tilting headlight



W. G. NORTHRUP.

TILTING HEADLIGHT. APPLICATION FILED ocns Patented Dec. 5,1922.

u n r r WILLIAM G. NORTHRUP, OF TOLEDO, OHIO.

TILTING HEADLIGHT.

Application filed. October To all w/LO'IIE/ it may concern:

Be it known that 1 WILLIAM G. Nonrnnur, a citizen of the United States, residing at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and 5 State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tilting Headlights, of which I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description.

lhis invention relates to improvements in automobile headlights, of the type which are provided with a tilting reflector, WlllCh may be tilted so as to direct the beam of light downwardly upon the ground in front of the automobile. The principal object of my invention is to provide an improved mounting for the reflector within the headlight casing, which is of such a nature as to lend itself to the ready production of these headlights in large quantities at small expense and has novel advantages when assembled. A further object of my invention is toprovide an improved mounting for the reflector in the casing, which will be substantially rattleproof.

Further objects of this inventlon relate to economies of manufacture and details of construction as will hereinafter appear from the detailed description to follow. I accomplish the objects of my invention in one instance by the devices and means described in the following specification, but it is evident that the same may be varied widely without departing from the scope of the invention as pointed out in the appended claims. A structure constituting one embodiment of my invention, which may be the preferred, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof .m

which:

Figure I is a vertical, sectional view taken through a headlight embodying my invention.

Figure ll is a view in front elevation of a headlight embodying my invention with the lens and ring removed.

Figure H1 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detail, sectional view, taken substantially on the line Ill-HI of Figure Ill, and

Figure IV is a detail, fragmentary, plan so view showing one member of the reflector hinge.

In the drawings, similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and the sectional view is taken 5, 1917. Serial No. 194,955.

looking in the direction of the little arrows at the ends of the section line.

Considering the numbered parts of the drawings, 1 have shown a headlight comprising a casing 1.0, the front end of which s closed by lens 11 carried by ring 12, which 18 secured to the casing 10 in the usual manner. Areflector 13 of the usual parabolic type is mounted within said casing so as to tilt therein, the upper forward'edge of the casing 10,

Brackets 14 are secured to the upper forward edge of the casing 10 by means of the rivets 15, and extend downwardly and carry at their lower ends a pintle 16. Yoke 17 is riveted to the upper forward edge of the reflector, by means of the rivets l8, and the forward ends 19 of said yoke are wrapped around and embrace the pintle 16. A leaf spring 20 is riveted to the yoke 17 at 21 and 1S provided with a laterally bent end 30, which engages the pintle 16 between the pintle bearings 19. The co-acting parts of the hinge may, of course, be reversely connected to the casing and reflector respectively and the leaf spring 20 may be arranged in any manner effective to frictionally prevent relative motion of the reflector relative to the casing at its pivoted connection therewith to absorb vibrations and prevent rattling when the device is used on a motor vehicle. A lug 22 is secured to the lower part of the reflector, at a point substantially diametrically opposite the hinge above described, and the forward end of a wire 23 is connected to said lug 22, said wire passing out of the casing 10 through a tube 24- secured in a boss 25 formed in the casing 10. A connector 26 is carried by the casing 10 and connected by wires 27 with the socket 28, carried by the reflector 13, a light bulb 29 being disposed in said socket 528 in the usual manner.

From the description of the parts given above, the operation of this device should. be very readily understood. The reflector is tilted within the casing 10 by means of the wire 23, the reflector being shown in full lines in Figure I in its normal position, in which it throws a substantially horizontal beam of light, and being illustrated in dotted lines in the position to which it is tilted in order to throw a deflected ray of light downwardly upon the ground. The wire 23, may be manipulated in any desired manner. The means for tilting the reflector forms no part of my present invention,

which has to do with the mounting of thereflector within the casing. Yoke 17 forms substantially a part of the reflector 13 and pivots on the pintle 16, carried by the brackets depending from the casing 10, so that the reflector 13 is hinged to the forward end of the casing 10 at the upper part thereof, said hinge being substantially in the vertical plane, which contains the axis of the reflector.

The hinge formed by the yoke 17 and the pintle 16 cause the reflector to tilt on a horizontal axis defined by the pintle 16'and there can be no lateral twisting of the reflector within the casing. This hinge construction lends itself particularly to the production of these headlights in large quantities, as it is not necessary to position this hinge as accurately as would be the case it trunnions were used at the sides of the reflector. In order to make the hinge at the top of the reflector substantially rattle-proof, a leaf spring 20 is provided, which bears upon the pintle 16, between the bearings 19, and holds the pintle tightly against its bearings in the ends of the brackets 14, so that it cannot rattle. The provision of a single hinge connecting the upper forward edge of the reflector with the upper forward edge of the casing is also desirable because the reflector can be normally disposed closer to the lens, and the total depth of the casing can be lessened, since the reflector swings from its upper edge, and, in swinging from its normal position to its tilted position, swings entirely away from the lens.

I am aware that the particular embodiment of my invention, which I have here shown and described, is susceptible of considerable variation Without departing from the spirit thereof, and, therefore, I desire to claim the same broadly, as well. as specifically, as indicated by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a device of the class described, a headlight having in combination a casing or supporting member, and a reflecting member, a pair of brackets connected with the upper forward edge of one of said members, a pintle carried by said brackets, a hinge element secured to the upper forward edge of the other of said members and having a bearing on said pintle, and a spring carried by one of said members and operative to re strain all movement between said pintle and said hinge element to thereby absorb vibrations and avoid rattling.

2. A device of the class described, comprising the combination of a casing; a pair of brackets depending from the upper forward edge of said casing; a pintle carried by said brackets; a reflector mounted in said casing; a hinge member secured to the upper forward edge of said reflector, and having a bearing on said pintle; a leaf spring secured to said reflector, and having its free end bearing on said pintle; and means for tilting the reflector in the casing.

3. A device of the class described, comprising the combination of a casing; a pintle carried thereby and extending horizon tally; a reflector; a member carried by said reflector and having a bearing on said pintle at separated points; a spring secured. to said reflector and having its free end bearing on said pintle between said points; and means for tilting said reflector.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signa ture,

WILLIAM G. NORTHRUP. 

